Startup Weekends more common than ever in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Startup Weekend premise is simple: Create communities and build companies in a single weekend (54 hours). Basically, anyone can pitch an idea, but only the ideas receiving the most popular votes make it to the creation stage. At the end of the weekend, a winner is chosen, but multiple businesses live on.

At least 10 Startup Weekends occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa during a 12-month stretch from September 2011 to August 2012. What’s more, another 9 are scheduled for November 2012 alone!

Here’s a rundown of events have happened or will take place in SSA and the African island nations from late-October through November 2012. Most cities hosting a Startup Weekend in November 2012 are doing so for the second time.

Saint-Denis, Réunion

October 26-28, 2012 at Supinfo

2nd SW event in Réunion

70 people were fully involved to create 40 ideas (14 of which were ‘worked on’)